PhD Position: Environmental Plasticity of Hippocampal Information Processing University of Basel in Switzerland

The Department of Biomedicine at the University of Basel, in collaboration with the University Hospitals Basel, is the largest department at the university, uniting basic and clinical scientists to advance health and disease research. The Bischofberger Lab specializes in investigating the cellular and circuit mechanisms underlying learning, memory, and cognitive plasticity in the hippocampus. This PhD project, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, aims to uncover the effects of environmental enrichment and deprivation on hippocampal information processing, with a focus on object discrimination, spatial navigation, social interactions, and social recognition memory.

Using state-of-the-art techniques such as in-vivo calcium imaging in freely moving mice (miniscope imaging), optogenetics, chemogenetics, and in-vitro patch-clamp recordings, the research will explore the plasticity of cognition generated by environmental interventions. The initial focus is on dendritic inhibition via somatostatin interneurons, with ongoing investigations into other interneuron subtypes. The project addresses fundamental questions about how environmental complexity influences hippocampal coding and synaptic excitation–inhibition balance, which are crucial for understanding memory deficits and dementia.

The Department of Biomedicine offers a vibrant research environment with over 70 research groups and more than 800 employees, located in the heart of Basel. The successful candidate will join a collaborative and interdisciplinary team, contributing to pioneering therapies and advancing basic science. Applicants should have a strong background in neuroscience, biology, or related fields, and experience with relevant experimental techniques is highly desirable. Full funding is provided for the PhD position, and candidates are encouraged to apply online via the University of Basel job portal.